Dictograph.



W. P. H. GERMER. DIGTOGRAPH.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 31', 1908.

927,230. Patented July 6, 1909.

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wi ww aoea F9 6] l we 1 1 To a M flHoz-nm s X WILLIAM F. a. GERMER, or

Specificationof Letters Patent.

NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIIGNOR TO GENERAL AcoUs'rIc COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

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Patented July 6, 1969.

Application filed July 31, 1908. Serial No. 446,236.

To all whom it may concern:

Bait known that 1, WILLIAM F. H. GER- MER, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Brooklyn and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Im rovements in Dicto'graphs, of which the fo owing is ,a full," clear, and exact description;

My invention relates to what is known as a dictograph, being a telephonic system or apparatus by which a person, for example, the manager of an office, may dictate a letter to any one of hiscorps of stenogra hers without requiring them to leave their p ace at their own desks. A paratus of this class forms the subject of etters Patent Nos. 843,186, 875,081, and 880,537 the last-named patent being adapted to installationswhere there are two Ormore managers stations and any number of steno raphers stations.

In thepractica operation of the apparatus, certain traflic conditions, such as a ossible false signal, might occasionally arise and cause a certain annoyance or inconvenience in the system. r

It is the purpose of my-present invention to provide an apparatus accom lishing the general purposes of the above' latent No. 880,537, but in which all traffic conditions are taken careof so perfectly thatconditions will never arise where false signals or- ()tllOPlIllpIOPGlf effects are produced. I also 'provide stenographers stations of varying characters in addition to the plurality of managers stations,-some of the stenographers stations being ada ted tocommunicate only with one mana er s station,'and others being adapted for se ective intercourse with either'of two managers stations.

Withthese and other objects inview, the

invention consists in the features of: construction and arrangement of circuits" as"; 1 hereinafter set forth and 'claimed.

of t he circuits of the system; this figureis to be used in connection with Fig. a mii s e am In the' drawingsyFigure lis a diagrammatic view of part of the circuits of adicto graplr s stem havingcitwo" managers sta-" -ll ig. 1'- is afjview of the remainder.

As has been fully set forth in the prior patents above mentioned, one of the essential principles of a the provision of separate talking circuits between any two communicating stations so that the conversation will not be echoed or thrown back into the room from which it proceeds; plans making use of four wires between the communicating stations,

dictograph apparatus is In my prior patents I have shown wires and three and which attain this independence of therespectivetalking circuits. In the present a plication I have used the general princies of the three-wire line connectio s, adapting them to a plurality of managers stat1ons, and to stenographers stations of different characters. the communication between two managers" It is to be noted that stations is necessarily more complex than that between a managers station and a stenographers. station, because each managers station is equipped with a separate battery for-its own talking circuits, and, when two managers stations arein communication with one another, it is clear that the batte silenced. if the batteries of two managers stations were both in the talking circuit at the same time, the would either neutralize one anotherto re uce the current flow, or assist one another to increase the current flow, both of which conditions are almost equally objectionable, since the instruments are adjusted to work with a certain current and do not operate as well with other current values. p

Referring tothe draw-mgs,in' which like parts are denominated by the same reference sign, twomanagersistations are shown, and res ectivel denominated A and A. K

and l designate what=l shall term se-' lective stenographers" st'at'ions, being equipped "with ap aratus adapted "to com mumcate selective y with either ofthe two managers stations. I "*G, C C and Cdesignate'Ordinaryste: nographers stations which} are adapted to {communicate only witlr a single fl managerfs forthe" U j 'of eacn charactermaybepro 1- stationi" It is evident th'at a many stations dine-deof one must be cut. out or sired, but those shown are suflicient to illustrate the principles of the invention. Each mana ers station has keys or jacks or other suitabde circuit-controlling means by which communication maybe had with any stenographers station of'its own group, or any remote selective stenographers station of another managers group, or an other managers station. The: actual te ephonic instruments of the system.may be of any desired character, for example, they may be identical with those .of the above mentioned patents. Y

10 denotes the transmitter, and 11 the receiver at a stenographers station.

switch zhook, and 13 is a the usual way, which need not be described,

The instruments and devices at the .managers station A are exactly like those of station A and are denominated by the same reference characters, except that index 2, instead of the prime mark, is used in' denominating the parts at the station-A These particular instruments may be of any desired character, but it is best to; employ the acousticon transmitter and other appag ratus described in the above mentioned patents. 4

The keys or jacks at managers station A are denominated D, E, F, G, H and each is associated with corresponding drop signals d, e, f, g, h. Managers station A has corresponding keys D E F G H and drop signals (1 6 f g and h The managers stations have talking batteries respectively denominated 23 and 23 and. signal batteries respectively denominated 24 and 24 There are also switches 25 and 25? at the respective managers stations, for

5 throwing the ordinary receiver or loud ear piece into the talking circuit.

I will now describe the various conditions and operations which take place and the electrical circuits which are completed in the normal operation of the apparatus.

The diagram of circuits shows the apparatus in its normal or assive condition when no one is talking. will sup ose the man- 1 ager at station A wishes to ictate a letter 60. to the 'stenographer at station 0'. Under these circumstances the key or jack G is operated so as to elevate the elongated blade 30 which establishes the following rin ing circuit: battery blade 30, wire I", call bell 13 at stenegraphers desired, and she accordingly removes the reter 14. This circuit includes the mana 'ers 24, wire Z, wire Rab side 31,

station C, switchhook 12, wire I, blade 32, blade 33', wire 1 wire Z, and wire Z back to battery 24". The stenographer at station C is therefore notified that communication is ceiver from the hook 12. The manager at the same time displaces his key or jack G so as to interrupt the contact between blades 30 and 31, and depress the blades 32 35, 36, and 37. In this way a pair of separate talking circuits are established between the managers station A and the stenographers station 0 as follows: managers transmitter14, wire m, blade 39, blade 37, wire m Wire m wire in, talking battery 23, wire m wire m, blade 40, blade 32 wire 1, switch hook 12,

I contact blades 42 and 43, stenographers receiver-11, wire m, blade 36, blade 44, wire m wire m back to the managers transmittransmitter, stenographers receiver, talking battery, and the wires 1 and m. At the same time a talking circuit is established from the stenographers stationto the managers station as follows: stenogra hers transmitter 10, wire Z blade 45, bla e 35, wire n, wire 11?, manager s receiver 15 or 16 (depending on the position of the switch 25 talkingbattery'23, wire/m wire m blade 40', blade 32', wire 1*,switcl1hook 12, and blade 42;, back to the transmitter 10. This circuit'includes the stenographers transmitter, the managers receiver, the talking battery 23,.and the wires Z and Z. This talkmg circuit is distinct from that previously traced in accordance with the princi les fully set forth. in Patent No. 880,537, ,w hich'has already been referred to. Ifwillnowassume that'the stenographers station C desires to call upathe managers, station A Under these circumstances, the position of the switch blades at the manager's station is as shown in Fig. 1., so that, when the steno'grapher takes her receiver off the hook 12, a circuit is completed from battery 24, wire'l,

l e wire 0, managers visual signal g, wire 0 'blade 47, blade 36, wire-m", receiver 11,

blade 43, blade 42, wireflfl-blade' 32, blade 33, wire Zfi'wire Z,*Wire' I, back to the batter 24. The managerssignal is accordingly disp ayed to indicate that communication is desired.

The communication of managers station A with stenog.- phers station 0 is made in exactly the same way as that already described, through the key or jack H. In like manner communication from managers station A to stenogra hersstations C and C is established throng the keys-or jacks G: and

H respective] e V The stenographers stations B andB have 5 been termed selective,v steno'graphe'rs stations, and areadapted for communication with eithermanagens station. Each of these 1 stations has a switch K and K esp ctive y which,,in the normal condition of theappani l minals p and p 9 other in the normal position of key K.

5 station A desires to communicate with selective stcnographers station B the key or jack E is operated in the same manner as has been described with the key G. It will be observed that the wires 1 and m of stcnographer s station B are interrupted at the points 50 and 51 respectively, instead of being continuous, as withstenographers station C. The terminals 10 and p, which are thus produced in the wire Z are. carried to switch switch blades are in contact 1n the normal position of key K. In like manner the terformed by the interruption of the wire m,.are carried to the blades 54 and 55 which are not in contact with one gnnasmuch as the calling circuit from a managers station to a stenographers station takes place through the wires 7, and Z, it is evident that the stenographer B is free to be called by the manager A when he operates his key or jack E. When the call is received, the selective stenographer B removes the receiver from the hook and presses the key K to the left in Fig. 1., thereby establishing the circuit of wire m through blades 54 and 55. Thereafterthe communication proceeds exactly as has been described with -stenographers station C. When selective stenographers station B desires to call up managers stat1on A,-the key. K is obviously pressed to "the right in the same way, after which the call is made by taking the receiver 0d the hook as has already been described for station C. L

The managers station A has a key E adapted to call and establish talking circuits with the same selective stenographers station B, which has been above referred to. Forthis purpose the circuit wires Z Z and m of key E are continued to join with the wires Z 1 and m from the key E of managers station A, but the continuity of the wires l and m is designed toIbe interrupted by the switch K. Wire l from station A is attached to switch blade 58 which is adapted to engage blade 59 connected to wire Z of stenographers station B, as already described. In like manner wire m is connected to a blade 60 which engages a blade 61 connected to wire m of stenographers station B, as already described. In the-normal position of the key K, the wire m from the keyor jack E is interrupted at blades 60, 61 in the same manner that wire m from key or jack E is interrupted at blades 54, 55. The complete circuit connections are, however, established through the other two wires in each case for making a call to stenographcr blades 52 and 53 respectively, and these- 13 from either managers station. The signaling is done bya code, so that the stenog.

rapher knows which managers station is calling. For example, manager A may have a predetermined code or signal of one ring, and manager A two rings, or conversely. If it is managers station A, to the left, as has been already described. If the managers station A is calling, the key K is 'moved to the right, whereupon the three circuit wires from managers station A will be put in a continuous circuit with selective stenographers station B ,I but the circuits from the managers station not in communication will be so interrupted that a call is made impossible as long as the line is busy.

I provide a busy test by which anindication is given to the calling manager under the above circumstances; that is to say, an indication by which one nianagers station is advised when a selective stenographers station B or B is already in communication with another manager. For this purpose I arrange the wires 57 leading from the upper blade oi' ke s E F and E F to extend through bel s X and x in place of being directly connected to the wires Z, as is done with the corresponding connections from the other keys. As a result of this arrangement, the bell X or X at the managcrsstation is rung whenever he si nals to a selective stenographers station or B, the particular code or signal-given thereat being exactly reproduced in this way atthe home station.

f, however, a selective stenograp'hers station is busy, its signalingi'c-ircuits to any other managers station or stations are interrupted, so that such other manager will not receive the audible indication at his bell X or X when he makes a call. By this fact the manager is advised that the line is busy.

The circuits of the selective stenographers station B are exactly the same, and controlled in the same way, as the circuits of selective stenographefs station B. The calls are made through the keys F- and F respectively, and the stenographers selective manipulation accomplished by the key K It is not necessary to consider the details of the circuits and switch connections in this case, as they are identical with those already described for the selective stenographers station B.

In addition to the circuits thus far con sidered, I provide means by which either managers station may call up and communicate with the other. For this purpose the managers stations have keys D and I) respectively, the line wires g, g and g of which are joined together. Supposing that managers station A desires to call up mangers station. A to connect blades 60 and 61; and 62 and 63 respectively. A calling circuit from man- Key or jack D is operated,

the key K is moved agers station A to station A is established under these circumstances as follows: ringing battery 24, wire Z, blade 61 blade 60, wire 1", wire 9, to managers station A blade 65, blade 66, visual signal (1 wire r wire 9 back to managers station A, blades 62 and 63, wires Z and Z", back to battery 24. A call from mana ers station A to managers station A wil be made through circuits exactly corresponding to the fore going in all respects, except over lines g and (1 by the manipulation of his key or jack D I regard the arrangement by which different circuit wires are employed in making a call from station A to station A from those employed in calling from station A .to station A as important. I have found in practice that, where the same circuit wires are used for calls in both directions, the callingbattery is short circuited when both managers happen to call each other at the same time. It has also happened in practice that the shutters of a number of managers stations are simultaneously exhibited, entirely improperly, when two managers stations happen to call each other at the same time, unless their calling circuits are made overseparate lines. This difliculty is caused by current being put through chance circuits where it is not intended to circulate, when two managers stations simultaneously call each other, assuming that calls are not made over separate line wires, as is provided for by the present invention. After the call is made, both managers are put in telephonic communication by manipulating their keys or' jacks D and D so as to depress the blades 68, 69, 70 and 71, and 65, 72, 73, and 74, respectively. The talking circuit from managers station A to managers station A is as follows: transmitter 14, wire m, blade 75, blade 71, wireg, to nianagers station A blades 76, 72, wire 8, receiver 15 or 16 of managers station A battery 23 wire 8 blade 78, blade 65, wire 9, back to managers station A, blade 68, blade 79, wire m, back to transmitter 14. This circuit includes transmitter at station A, receiver at station A and one talking battery 23 The line wires 9, 2 are made use of in this circuit. The ta king circuit from. managers station A to managers station A is as folstation A, and the talking battery 23 lows: transmitter 14 wire t, blades 81, 73, wire 9 to managers station A, blades 70, 84, wire m receiver 15 or 16 at station A, wire n blades69, 85, wire g, back to managers station A blades 65, 78, wire 8 battery 23", wire i blades 74, 80, wire t back to the transmitter 14 This circuit includes transmitter at station A receiver at makes use of circuit wires q, and f, as distinguished from g and g used in the communication in the opposite direction. The talking circuits are therefore f each made 'cial or peculiar conicidences in the conditions improper effects or signals.

three-wire'circuit and adapted to open an- .clude all the normal calling and talkingconditions which arise in practice. It will be evident that the circuits enumerated accomplish all of the necessary functions for calling and talking purposes. These circuits are designed with a view of avoiding any improper, signals or other effects from any speof the various instruments and circuit controlling devices of the system. It is believed that this result is perfectly accomplished, and that no conditions can arise to produce It is, however, unnecessary to consider in detail the characteristics of the circuits by which they are prevented from giving improper indications or effects under such special or peculiar conditions, which might arise under certain conceivable circumstances or coincidences.

What I claim is:

1. In a telephone system or apparatus, a plurality of managers stations, a stenographers station, a three-wire circuit extending from said stenographers station to each of the managers stations, and a key normally opening one wire in each such other wire of each three-wire circuit to noncommunicating managers stations when talking circuits are established-to any particular managcrs station.

2. In a telephone system or apparatus, a stenographers station havin a call bell, a managers station havin a .attery and a two-way key, a pair of b ades movable into contact with one another by a displacement of said key in one direction to complete a ringing circuit including said battery and said callbelhandblades for establishingtwo separate talking circuits when the key is displaced in'the other direction.

3. In a telephone system or ap aratus, a managers station having keys wit separate blades adapted to .be displaced for ringing, and establishing talking circuits respectively, a calling battery at the managers station, a stenographers station having a receiver, a transmitter, and a call bell, means for completing the circuit from said battery through said call bell when the first mentioned blades of said key are displaced, and means for completing separate talking circuits from the managers stationv to the' stenographers station and from the stenographers station to the managers station when the last mentioned blades of said key are displaced. I Q

4. In a telephone system or apparatus, a stenographers station a plurality of mana gers stations, connectlons therefrom to' said stenographers station, a selective ke at the stenographers statlon, whereby slgnahng 130 circuits, other than that ofthe manager with V In witness whereof, I subscribe my sig- Whom communication is established, are nature, in the presence of two witnesses.

interrupted, and an audible si nal at each WILLIAM F GERMER managers station, included int e signal ei 1'- uit therefrom to said stenographers station, 'Witnesses:

whereby a busy test isgiven by the silence of WALDO M. CHAPIN, said audible signal. i JAMES DANTQNIO. 

